A+ Study: The Laser Printing Process; Who's Right, Who's Wrong?

[The Technician]

Throughout the months of studying for the A+ exam, I have encountered many conflicting explanations of the steps of the laser printing process. In addition to the use of different terminology across study materials, the order of steps also differs. So, I am coming to you guys to clear it up.

CompTIA's A+ Deluxe Study Guide 2nd Edition describes 6 steps in the laser printing process under the following terminology:

1. Cleaning
2. Charging
3. Writing (exposing)
4. Developing
5. Transferring
6. Fusing

Professor Messer (highly recommended A+ study) describes 7 steps under the following terminology:

1. Processing
2. Charging
3. Exposing
4. Developing
5. Transferring
6. Fusing
7. Cleaning

Additionally, Cisco describes 6 steps under the following terminology:

1. Cleaning
2. Conditioning
3. Writing
4. Developing
5. Transferring
6. Fusing

Now, I do realize that this is more about what CompTIA wants to hear than it is what everyone else in the industry has to say about it, but I wanted to add Cisco's take on it just as an example of how conflicting the information out there really is.

Discrepancies like this have been a frustration for me throughout this entire process, in multiple areas from CPUs to Storage to Networking - especially in terms of differing terminology. But this one goes beyond "you say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to". One is correct, and the other is simply incorrect - and CompTIA is the decider, so finding the answer that CompTIA is looking for is the goal here. That said, Professor Messer's study materials have come far more highly recommended by those who have passed the exams than any CompTIA study materials have.

So, my question is, who do I trust here? Do I go with what the CompTIA officially sanctioned study guide says? Or do I trust the guide that so many certified techs recommend?

Any insight is greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance!

 

[1etherer]

I know from my work on laser printers that Comptia and Cisco is correct..

Cleaning/ erasing
Writing / exposing
Charging/ conditioning

You can use either of the two words which is why Cisco and comptia seem to use different words.


The way I remember it is, Cleaning Cats With Dettol Takes Forever...

Lol it's how I was taught to remember the steps you can google a diagram also to follow these steps.. It's very easy to understand the process in my opinion.

 

[Lexluethar]

Go with what is in the CompTIA study guide.

I literally remember having this exact same issue with Laser Printers. Realize that the discrepancies aren't too large - the difference with professor messer is he claims the cleaning is the last step. But if you look at the steps they are in the same order essentially.

Understand the process and honestly you can't go wrong - if you get this specific question on the exam realize they will more than likely throw things at you that are completely off and not off by one or two steps.

 

[The Technician]

Thanks, guys.

I actually reached out to Professor Messer about this, and, even though I was very humble in my approach and graciously thanked him for his free videos and all, his reply seemed short and defensive.

"The process listed in my videos doesn't appear to be much different
than those you've provided in your email..."

Except that:

1. He adds an entire step (processing) that CompTIA does not
2. He claims that cleaning is the final step, when CompTIA states it is the first

"My explanation of the laser printing process is identical to CompTIA's..."

No, they are not identical at all. Ugh, I guess I'm just a little irritated with his response to me being less than helpful.

Anyway, I figured that the CompTIA sanctioned study guide was the best bet, and will be following it exclusively moving forward. I just wanted to ask everyone first.

Thank you guys for clarifying this for me!

 

[Lexluethar]

All good man, that sucks that he was so defensive. I've used his site many times in my studying and have pointed lots of people to that site. I guess take it at face value, they are free video's after all.

Go with CompTIA - if for some reason you fail the exam and the one question you missed was the laser printing steps you have a leg to stand on showing their text book had the incorrect information.

 

[1etherer]

Thanks, guys.

I actually reached out to Professor Messer about this, and, even though I was very humble in my approach and graciously thanked him for his free videos and all, his reply seemed short and defensive.

"The process listed in my videos doesn't appear to be much different
than those you've provided in your email..."

Except that:

1. He adds an entire step (processing) that CompTIA does not
2. He claims that cleaning is the final step, when CompTIA states it is the first

"My explanation of the laser printing process is identical to CompTIA's..."

No, they are not identical at all. Ugh, I guess I'm just a little irritated with his response to me being less than helpful.

Anyway, I figured that the CompTIA sanctioned study guide was the best bet, and will be following it exclusively moving forward. I just wanted to ask everyone first.

Thank you guys for clarifying this for me!

The cleaning process is the "first" step! as it makes sure the drum is clean (of toner) before the charge then the drum is electrically written on (an image)... but during this process the drum will be cleaned again and again as it needs to replace the image...

So it depends on how you look at it, but the cleaning process has to happen first to make sure it clean... Rather than just assuming the cleaning during the print got it all removed...

Maybe Pro messer is getting a bit confused?

 

[S0ULphIRE]

A more common issue than I'd like with our lasers is when people send jobs with incorrect paper stock selected, which leaves toner residue all over the drum.

Either the alleged 1st step is terrible at actually cleaning, or it never happens, because a subsequent print (or two or three) will have residual toner all over it

 

[1etherer]

A more common issue than I'd like with our lasers is when people send jobs with incorrect paper stock selected, which leaves toner residue all over the drum.

Either the alleged 1st step is terrible at actually cleaning, or it never happens, because a subsequent print (or two or three) will have residual toner all over it

the cleaner wipes the entire drum so if its not, then there is a fault somewhere (software process/ hardware / leak)...

 

[The Technician]

A more common issue than I'd like with our lasers is when people send jobs with incorrect paper stock selected, which leaves toner residue all over the drum.

Either the alleged 1st step is terrible at actually cleaning, or it never happens, because a subsequent print (or two or three) will have residual toner all over it

the cleaner wipes the entire drum so if its not, then there is a fault somewhere (software process/ hardware / leak)...

From what I understand, if there is toner left on the drum after the page has printed, creating "ghost images" on the following pages, then that is a failure of either the eraser lamp that discharges the particles, allowing them to let go of the drum, or the eraser blade that scrapes them off the drum after the lamp discharges them. Do I understand this correctly?